Wednesday, September 30, 2015

How I Started Needlefelting

I've had a lot of questions recently about how I started needlefelting, so I decided to put it all down in a blog post. This isn't really a tutorial or a guide, as I'm still learning myself, it's just how I personally got started. Hopefully it will help you out with where to start!

I had been seeing beautiful needlefelted creations around the internet for a while, especially on Violet Le Beaux's blog and on Deviantart. I decided I wanted to try it out, so I watched some video tutorials on Youtube to see what was involved. It didn't seem to require too much equipment, and looked like something I would be able to do, so I ordered a very cheap kit from eBay. The kit came with 5g packs of wool roving in a range of colours, felting needles, a few accessories such as eyes, leather finger covers and a felting mat. Most of the kit was alright, but the "felting mat" was a piece of packing foam. The felting mat is REALLY important, so I'd definitely say it was worth buying a more mid-priced kit with a proper mat. It makes it so much easier, and you won't end up with blunt, bent, and broken needles like I did. You can also felt using a felting brush as a base, but I haven't personally tried this.

Having watched lots of video tutorials and looked at lots of photo tutorials too, I decided to just dive in and get started. My first ever project was a tiny red and white toadstool, and next I tried making a tiny Totoro. I found pictures of what I wanted to make, and then just made it up as I went along. I think for most people following a tutorial would probably be a good start, but for me I seem to have just taken to it quite naturally. I know that's not very helpful for most people!

Once I knew I wanted to continue needlefelting, and that this wouldn't just be a passing fad for me, I bought better materials and tools. I bought a proper needlefelting mat, which still only cost around £5, some better quality felting needles, and bigger packs of wool roving in the colours I liked and used most. I bought most of my wool from The Makery. Then I carried on as I started, making things up as I went along. It seems to work for me!

If you're interested in starting needlefelting yourself, workshops are a great way to get started in new crafts, so try looking for some in your area! Watch youtube tutorials, look for photo tutorials on blogs, and search for needlefelting books in your local library.

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comments:

Needlefelting always looks such a fun little craft to get involved in, I love how in particular you can get so much detail into such small designs. I'll have to get around to giving it a try myself some time!

I just came back and read through this post as I remembered leaving a comment asking you how you'd gotten started! This is really useful, I'll definitely have to have a go at some point and the little mushrooms look so good! - Tasha

I haven't bought a kit but I have tried needle felting in my own way by using some yarn I have that was loosely wound, enough it pulls apart easily. I used a pin I bent the tip on a little and created a goldfish which didn't turn out that well but it was fun and held up a bit so I think someday I'll needle felting for real. I liked seeing the one penny which looks cooler than any of the pennies in my purse. I have a small handful of junk coins I collect for fun.